


"He'll make up the difference"

by RavenHowl



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Universe, Comforting Roxas, Depressed Sora, Drama, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, Kingdom Hearts III, Kissing, M/M, Romance, Roxas (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, Sora (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, Sora (Kingdom Hearts) Needs a Hug, Soroku
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 08:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18091016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenHowl/pseuds/RavenHowl
Summary: When Sora feels at his lowest, not able to achieve anything or getting angry at the littlest thing, Roxas is here to pull him up and remind him that he is worth everything.





	"He'll make up the difference"

**Author's Note:**

> Bonjour/Hello  
> I am finally able to publish my first SoRoku fanfiction!  
> Even though I feel like the beginning is a bit rushed (especially since I wrote it last) and that I'm not really proud of the result, I thought that it would be a good thing to share it with you all~  
> That story was inspired by a SoRiku doujinshi called _"Dekiai Guardians"_ by Samwise  
> Hope it will be to your liking!
> 
> Remember that English is not my native language. I apology for any grammar mistakes.

 

* * *

_“And when you're not strong enough... he'll make up the difference” - Hiro Hamada_

* * *

 

 

              As always since they had begun their journey to free different worlds from the darkness within them, a new place appeared some miles away from the Gummi Ship. With sparkling curiosity in their eyes, they stared at their future destination, beautiful and surely full of wonders, but also probably corrupted by sinful and violent creatures, that they had to defeat no matter what. As usual, thanks to Donald's powerful magic, they went down without being caught by the residents or looking out of place with their unusual outfits and fitted perfectly into that new environment. Like they had done a dozen of times before, the trio of friends discovered with amazement, all the information about that new setting and met a whole bunch of people, good and bad.

 

That day, they had arrived in a place called Hawaii. Quickly learning that it was a big island in the middle of the ocean, just like Destiny Islands, Sora got comfortable in no time and went through the streets, sightseeing with a joyful expression on his face, forgetting for one moment their primary mission. Compared to his home, there were so many things to do and see, so many people living in harmony with each other, so many wonderful locations to go, and he couldn't stop himself from running everywhere, just like a child in a toy store. However, his moment of innocence got cut short by the apparition of a large group of Heartless, coming out of the ground or falling from the sky, and a sigh escaped his lips as he took his fighting stance alongside Goofy and Donald. Each of them took out their weapon, frowning at the sight of their enemies, and charged them without a second thought.

 

Slashing.

 

Hitting.

 

Firing.

 

Blocking.

 

Hurting.

 

As always since they had begun their journey to free different worlds from the darkness within them, the trio had to put their life at risk to overcome the assault of these creatures. Although Sora had embraced that path willingly two years ago, that routine was beginning to worn him out to a point of no return. He wanted to help. It was in his nature to give and not waiting for anything in return. However, was fighting the only way? Couldn't he do something else to help everyone? For the past week, he had been wondering about the meaning of his actions and their consequences. Was he really useful?  
Without his Power of Waking, he couldn't go with Riku and King Mickey, to search for Master Aqua in the Realm of Darkness, and felt like a failure since then. He knew that they didn't mean any harm when refusing to let him come along but, the young man couldn't ignore that lingering pain, giving him the sensation that he was just slowing them down and that they sent him away so he wouldn't bother them. The rational part of his brain knew that it was wrong and that his journey was supposed to help him get his powers back. But, negative emotions were growing stronger little by little, messing completely with his mind and feelings. Plus, his wish to save Roxas from his Heart seemed to be impossible to reach now...

 

While setting another heart free, watching it fly away in the clear blue sky, the face of his Nobody popped up in his head. It had been a while since he had last physically seen him but lately, the blond teenager was often finding his way to Sora's mind, distracting him during conversations or fights. In the beginning, Roxas had been one of the main reason the brunette had decided to go on his own way, in hope to find answers on how to free him from his Heart. However, it seemed like every time he found something that could deliver him, a new kind of obstacle was showing up, preventing him from succeeding. Hopefully, with Ienzo's help, they would definitely find a way. Right?

 

“Sora, look!” intervened Donald, bringing him back to reality. “There is something up there?”

 

Following the magician pointing finger, the Keyblade bearer narrowed his eyes to catch the sight of what it was. His sky-like orbs widened when he saw a small yellow creature, flying around electrics cables, laughing at loud like a maniac. It didn't look like a Heartless but, it didn't seem friendly either. Suddenly, that strange animal touched the pylon and sparks surrounded him instantly, creaking sounds echoing around the streets, scaring the people close to it.

 

“We have to stop him! He is going to destroy the city if it continues like that!” Sora said, taking his Keyblade in both hands.

 

“No! You can't do that!”

 

A child's voice interrupted them as the brunette was about to go after the creature. Turning around, the three protectors of light met a little girl with long black hair, round face, big brown eyes and wearing a red dress with white patterns on it. Beside her, a blue dog was walking, sniffing the ground, and began to growl at them, baring his teeth.

 

“You shouldn't be out there little one. There are dangerous monsters lurking around here...” Goofy explained in a gentle manner.

 

“Sparky isn't like these dark crawling beasts! He is Stitch's cousin and we have to catch him before the guy in a black coat!”

 

“Uh? What did you just say?”

 

 

×

 

 

               After a ten minutes talk, they learned that the girl's name was Lilo and that his friend was a martian coming from another planet, named Stitch. Like always, Sora almost blew up their cover by saying that they were also from another world, making Donald quite angry. Hopefully, it seemed like the black haired child was clever enough to understand where they were coming from and since there seemed to be other inhabited planets, it could be easy to hide their true identity. So, Donald and Goofy had come to Earth for the holidays, while the brunette was showing them around. At least, that was the story he came up with...  
Afterward, she told them that a huge whale-like alien took their scientist friend away, keeping him captive in an unknown location and that a man in a black coat had come to her house to snatch away Sparky along with the other experiments. For the last part, he had succeeded but, it seemed like he was still after the electric creature, still flying away to god knows where.

 

That was why Stitch and Lilo were rummaging the streets, hoping to catch him before one of the Organization members. Hopefully, to them, that person just appeared as someone trying to capture the experiments for a gerbil called Dr. Ahm...Amh...Hämsterviel? Or something like that. If both the container and Sparky were to fall into their hands, it could be the hand of the whole island. Maybe the world even.

 

So, as usual, the trio accepted to help them get what they wanted. To be honest, after Hiro and Boo, it was the third time they had crossed path with people in need younger than Sora. Well, teenagers and kids have problems of their own too.

 

“Where should we look first?” Donald questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. “We saw him by coincidence... He could be anywhere now!”

 

“No worries about that. Stitch will find him! He has a good sense of smell, right Stitch?”

 

“ _Emba-chua! Goobaja*_ ”

 

At that, the three friends stared at each other, surprised by the language the alien had just used and tried to look as if they had understood, following him quietly.

 

 

 

The sun was high up in the sky by the time they actually found him. A group of Hawaïan fleeing from a restaurant, was the clue they had been looking for and at the sight of the mess left inside, tables turned over, broken glasses and dishes all over the floor, they could tell that he had played a few tricks on them before scaring them off. Although Lilo had explained that these experiments were harmless, it didn't look that way when you were confronted with that kind of scenery. Sparks caught Sora's attention. The young man lifted his head up to see the small creature running on the wooden structure of the place and alerted his companions about his presence. Stitch was the first one to react, climbing the walls to join him, and the little girl scanned the area to see if there was anything to help them. Since he couldn't use his magic, to avoid hurting him, the Keyblade bearer ran after their target, waving his hands in the air to distract him.

 

“Hey Sparky, over there!”

 

The experiment turned to look at him, smiling mockingly before flying away, giggling like a mischievous devil. Unnerved by his behavior, the young man groaned in annoyance and used his Super Jump to try and catch him, not hearing Donald warning yell as he did so. Just like the wind runs between your fingers, the yellow monster escaped easily, letting his opponent land hard on one of the tables, breaking it with his weight. A pained sound passed through his clenched teeth and he brought a hand to his head, rubbing the spot he had hit. How could something as simple as that, could be that difficult? While that thought crossed his mind, Sora watched Stitch blocking Sparky's way, giving time to Lilo to place a vase under them, and felt even more useless as Goofy and Donald were able to give a hand, breaking the wood supporting the experiment so he could fall into the glass decoration.

 

“We did it!” the girl exclaimed, clapping her hands. “We caught Sparky. Now, we have to bring him back to my home and watch over him until we think about a good place for him to be!”

 

“ _Okie-taka_ ” chirped Stitch, circling around the vase, happy to have been able to catch his cousin before the Organization.

 

However, while everyone was overflowing with joy, Goofy and Donald even laughing along with Lilo about how they teamed up, Sora, on the other hand, felt utterly helpless and at a loss of words. Never before had he failed so miserably! A painful twinge forced him to bring a hand over his chest, brushing the place where his heart was, and he made a face, pursing his lips into a thin line. Have I... become that weak? Even though it wasn't such a big deal from an outsider point of view, the brunette felt very frustrated by his inability to achieve such an easy task, that even a child, devoid of powers, was able to complete. It had been a while since he had felt like that. Now that he thought about it when was the last time he had considered himself a loser? Not since Riku had stolen the Keyblade from him probably.

 

“Sora, come on! We gotta go”

 

The cackling voice of the royal magician tore him out of his daydreaming and, after getting up and dusting his pants, he followed them to Lilo's house, sighing heavily. As they were going back to her home, Sora was trailing behind, lost in useless thoughts, not looking where he was going, his eyes unfocused, and Stitch joined him on his four, singing quietly for himself. The young man didn't notice his presence right away. The alien had to call out to him to pull him out of his trance.

 

“ _Ohufi_ , is Sora feeling okay?”

 

“Hm? Oh, yeah... yeah. I'm okay Stitch, thanks for your concern...”

 

Of course, it was a big lie. Hopefully, the brunette succeeded in repressing his bad emotions to show too much on his face, just like he always did. He had become a master at hiding them. After all, there wasn't a need to express them... He didn't want to be even more of a bother to everyone.

 

“Sora looks... lost. Do you not have an _ohana_?” Stitch asked, looking at his new found friend. “Stitch felt happy and safe when he found his <i>ohana</i>.”

 

“ _Ohana_? What do you mean by it?”

 

“ _Ohana_  means family. Family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten”

 

“Oh... I... I have one. I have a family...” he answered, not trusting his own words.

 

The blue martian tilted his head to the side, making a wondering sound, and opened his mouth again to say:

 

“But, Sora's _ohana_  is probably incomplete? Sora is missing someone dear. Just like Stitch when he isn't with Lilo?”

 

That simple sentence forced him to a stop, lowering his eyes to stare at the ground, hands balled up into fists against his thighs. Who was he missing? His heart was thumping harder and harder as Roxas' face appeared in his mind, making him blush instantly, and he had to shake his head to chase it away. His sadness grew even more just thinking about him... Wasn't it stupid to miss him while he was residing in his Heart? What was that lonely feeling slowly digging its way through it? Sora really needed to sort things out before breaking down completely. It was beginning to become too heavy for him.

 

The little hawaïan girl's house came into view after a thirty minutes walk, sheltered by trees and bushes, far from everything else, looking quite... different from other buildings they had seen in the city. On top of the roof, there was a huge cabin shaped like a UFO, and all around it, they could see a sort of platform on which you could walk. Lilo probably watched the stars from up there with her family...  
When they entered, Goofy holding the vase in which Sparky had been trapped, a woman ran toward them, seemingly worried about both Stitch and Lilo, and shielded the two from these strangers she didn't know. Quickly, the black haired child cleared the misunderstanding for her big sister, Nani, and introduced the trio to her, as if it was a normal occurrence in their life to get visited by aliens. The brunette stayed quiet through all of it. An unusual behavior coming from him. Donald opened his beak to ask him what was wrong but an earthquake cut the conversation short, shaking the whole house and leaving the two sisters screaming on the ground, the eldest covering her sibling with her body.

 

It couldn't be a natural phenomenon. A huge bang had occurred at the same time the walls had started trembling. There could be only one answer to that mysterious detonation: the Heartless were here. Quickly, Sora threw orders at the girls, explaining that they had to hide somewhere with Sparky while they handled this. After that, Keyblade in hand, the young man went through the door, Goofy and Donald close behind.  
The explosion was coming from under the house, where the car had been parked and now, was nowhere to be seen. A bunch of Heartless had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, breaking everything they touched, lifting rocks and planks, searching thoroughly for the experiment they had just caught. Some of them were trying to come up, reaching only half of the steps before being pushed away by the group of heroes. There were Shadows, Neoshadows and Darkballs. Nothing they hadn't faced or won against before! It would be a piece of cake for them.

 

Jumping from the railing, Sora landed with a hard blow on the grass, expelling four monsters, and called upon his magic spells to fire at them. They disappeared one by one, giving their place to others so they could finish their task. On his right, the Keyblade wielder could see the royal guard charged his enemies, hitting them with his shield, and on his left, the royal magician was using his thunder attacks to keep them away from the garage. They couldn't let them enter the sisters' house. As that thought crossed his mind, he saw one of the creatures from the darkness, dissolving into the soil and trying to reach the door above them. Running after it, Sora was distracted for a second as he imagined what would happen if it succeeded in finding Lilo and Nani, and received a massive blow to the side, sending him in the bushes near the road with a loud gasp.

 

“Sora! Are you alright?”

 

His ribs ached from the hit but he had no time to think about it. Not taking a moment to catch his breath, the brunette got up and ran toward the stairs, looking at the group of Heartless that had reached the door. As he was about to cast his water spell to swept them away, something shot at the shadows and pulverized them in a second, leaving only a black stain on the wood in their place. The three heroes' eyes widened at the sight of Stitch, holding multiple guns in his paws, four arms having been added to the two he already had. Coming down, he helped his new friends in their task of making the Heartless disappear, firing here and there with a mocking laugh, and proved himself to be a good fighting partner.

 

Still a bit dizzy, Sora tried to keep up with everyone, missing a lot of his targets, not having enough energy to use his magic, and slowly but surely, began to feel unable to continue that fight. Why was he so useless? How could he save the world if he wasn't even able to protect two girls from these monsters? How incompetent could he be? Again, without knowing why, Roxas' face popped up in his mind, smiling sadly at him, extending a hand toward him as if he was begging to be saved, and mouthed his name in a whisper.

 

_I can't reach you. I can't save you... I'm... useless._

 

His heart was thumping hard in his ears, his muscles were completely tensed, his throat felt constricted and he couldn't breathe properly, his hands were shaking and he could feel the Keyblade slipping from his fingers, dissolving into the air, his eyelids were heavier and heavier by the seconds, and a weird sensation overcame his mind, as if he was slowly falling asleep. His legs stumbled backward, losing their balance just like a child learning how to walk for the first time, and while his body was definitely falling, his head never hit the ground. Instead, the young teen kept going down into nothingness, disappearing from the world.

 

The last thing he remembered, was a single word, echoing through his head.

 

_Worthless_

 

 

×

 

 

                When the young boy opened his eyes again, it wasn't to the sight of Lilo and Nani's house but to a totally different kind of scenery. If before, he had been standing beside his friends and the small blue martian creature, fighting a bunch of Neoshadows and Darkballs to protect the two sisters' home, he was now staring at a wide and dark ocean. Waves were crashing at his bare feet, wild and untameable, slowly retreating into nothingness, before coming back to wash over his tan skin. The sounds produced by their neverending crawling on the shore, were like a desperate cry for help to Sora's ears, calling at whoever could hear them, asking to be freed from their misery, trapped in that loop, always doing the same actions, never being able to go as far as that little bump of sand...

 

For some reason, his heart suddenly ached. Standing there, unable to offer what the sea seemed to need at that moment, staring into the distance and wondering what he should do, where should he go and... why was he even here in the first place? Suddenly, like an echo to his pain, little droplets of water started pouring down from the sky, hitting his face and body as if to punish him for his uselessness. In a minute, he was soaked to the bones, his spiky hair dropping down from each side of his head, making him look like an abandoned puppy, and he began to shiver, bringing his hands to his arms to try and keep himself warm...

 

What did he do to deserve that? It was already hard for him in his reality. Why did they make him go through this now? The only thing he had wished for during the past few days, was to enjoy a moment of peace, alone and without having to worry about the Heartless or the new Organization XIII. Was he going to suffer even in his dreams? Or was it even one? Now that he thought about it, that place was kinda weird... The more he looked at the ocean, the more he felt sad and the more he felt sad, the harder it rained. Was this world connected to his emotions? Maybe was he... inside his Heart? Was that storm an expression of his feelings? If it was the case then, had he been that depressed?

 

As if that thought triggered something inside of him, his body suddenly became heavy, tiredness overcame his mind, dizziness forced him to close his eyelids and his breath quickened due to his fast heartbeats. Again, like an answer to his feelings, the waves became even more agitated and the rain started to feel like little daggers against his skin. His legs almost gave up under his weight and his teeth chattered from the low temperature. This situation was terrible... That's not what he had wanted at all! How was he going to leave and go back to his friends? Where should he start looking? Was he alone here? Wasn't there anyone that could give him an indication on his whereabouts?

 

The answer came by itself in the form of something sheltering him from the storm and another supporting him by his shoulders so he wouldn't fall. A transparent umbrella was held just above his head, breaking the droplets' fall. Silently, Sora lowered his sky-like eyes to meet ocean-like ones. But, compared to the waters in front of him, these were calm and gentle, soothing his suffering instantly. New emotions spread inside of him at the sight of that person and a sigh of relief left his shaking lips as if he knew that everything would be fine from now on.

 

There, standing slightly behind him, was Roxas.

 

The Nobody was looking at him with incredible kindness, a faint smile lifting the corner of his lips, using his left arm to help the other to stand up, and was wearing his casual clothes, the ones from that picture in Twilight Town with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. The young Keyblade wielder noted that the cold didn't seem to bother him, while he was shaking like a leaf blown by the strong wind, and almost wanted to puff his cheeks in annoyance. But now was not the time and not the place to do so.

 

The brunette was about to question him about why he was here but the other boy preceded him, making a motion with his head to point at a house behind them, his blond hair flowing in the breeze of the night. For some reason, he hadn't even noticed the whole background of that world and couldn't hide his surprise when he acknowledged the presence of the building and the small garden beside it. Was he really inside his Heart? It looked like someone had been living there for quite a long time, especially considering the growing vegetables and flowers. Sora was confused now. There were a lot of questions popping in his mind and so little answers to give them. He decided to follow Roxas to the house first. Hopefully, he would be able to ask later.

 

So, without saying anything, his Nobody gently grabbed his cold hand between his slender fingers and lead him to the entrance of his home. The light contact between their skin sent goosebumps in the brunette's arm and an enjoyable heat came along with it. He didn't understand why but... he was glad to find a familiar face here. At least, he wouldn't feel as lost now.

 

 

               When they entered the hallway, Sora almost sighed loudly in happiness, the warm atmosphere of the room ahead of them, already coming as if to greet them. A slight chuckle escaped Roxas as he watched his Other repress these weird sounds of content and if usually, the latter would have felt hurt or would have told him to stop, he didn't find it unpleasant to hear. Instead, it made him happy and welcomed. After removing his shoes, the blond went through a door to the left of the corridor and came back a minute later, hands full with a towel and a change of clothes.

 

“You should remove yours. You'll catch a cold if you stay like this” was the first thing Roxas said, holding the towel out to him. “You can go and take a shower to warm you up”

 

“Oh... okay. Thanks!”

 

A smile stretched his Nobody's pale face and he showed him the way to the bathroom. As he followed him toward the right door, Sora looked around and discovered that everything was just like in a regular house. There was a small kitchen with a sink, some shelves, and a cabinet to put the dishes in, to his left and to his right, he could see a table with three chairs around it. He wondered who could live here beside Roxas...  
For the rest, it was just a couch against the wall, under a large window overlooking the ocean, and a little table in front of it. By seeing this, he knew that it couldn't be a dream... It felt way too real for it to be one. At least, he had answered one of his questions.

 

“Take your time. It seems the weather won't calm down so soon...”

 

At the end of his sentence, the blond closed the door behind him and the Keyblade wielder was left alone in the room. Sora started to undress as if it was normal, just like before he became a Hero of Light, back when he didn't have to fight or worry about anything. Back when he was just an ignorant boy who wanted to visit worlds for fun with his friends. Now that he thought about it, it had been so long since he had been able to take time for himself or even relax in any way. When the water touched his skin, warm and soothing, he exhaled loudly, letting all the tension in his muscles leave him for the first time since forever. For a moment, the brunette allowed himself to forget his mission and the reality he belonged to, in hope to find the peace and tranquility he was longing for. It felt good to just be... normal again.

 

Once Sora finished to get rid of a part of his physical exhaustion, he dried himself with the towel and slipped into the black shirt and grey pants that his Other had offered him, noting that it was more comfortable than he had thought it would be. To be honest, he never had the chance to wear anything else besides his usual outfit... Again, it was a nice change. After that, he exited the bathroom, still wiping his face and hair, and joined Roxas who was waiting for him, sitting on the couch while watching the weather through the window, an elbow on top of the backrest. Now that he could look at him more closely and calmly, the brunette could see all the little details of his Nobody's thin body. His lines were sharp and well drawn, giving off a sense of self-assurance and seriousness. His eyes were big, just like his, but glowing with a certain maturity while Sora had that childish and joyful glimmer in them. His nose was small and his lips contrasted a lot with his delicate and light colored skin. As for his hair, they were a total mess. Surely, one of the only thing he shared with his Somebody. But, they seemed to be so nice to the touch that Sora had to play with the hem of his top to keep himself from reaching out to them. He was sure that the blond wasn't the type to be fond of these sort of small attention.

 

Apart from a few meetings here and there, Sora realized that he never had the chance to talk with Roxas since he discovered about his existence. He wanted to learn more about him. What did he like? What was he thinking? What would he want to do if he was able to be his own person again? There was so little that he knew about that young boy... However, he seemed so focused on what he was staring at that the brunette didn't want to bother him and imitated him, by glancing above his shoulder. The darkness of the sky was beginning to lessen and the clouds were clearing off slowly, giving some place to the stars, which shone brightly in the night. At last, peace had settled down in that world. Well, for the moment...

 

“This world's weather is connected to your feelings” Roxas murmured after a long minute of silence “It's been raining for almost a week now...”

 

Sora didn't know how to answer to that. Sure, he had supposed earlier that the rain could be a reflection of his sadness but the fact that it was true, destabilized him even more. Plus, while he didn't want to worry Donald and Goofy, or Riku and the King with his problems, the blond was standing at the front row in this situation and no matter what he would do, the Keyblade wielder would never be able to hide his true self to the one living in his heart. A lump formed in his throat as he recalled all the negative emotions he had been experiencing lately and wondered if Roxas had to cope with it too... Knowing that he made him go through his ups and downs, even if it was unconsciously, made him sick of himself. He had never wanted to push his feelings onto him like that. Especially not after what he had endured...

 

“So, we are inside... my Heart?” He asked, looking down and twiddling his thumbs.

 

“I'm not really sure myself. It almost feels like... the real world. I wake up, eat, go swimming, have to wash the laundry and sleep in a bed. And it's like this every day since... I can't really remember when.”

 

He paused a moment. Sora dared to gaze in his direction to see what kind of expression he was making, guessing it would be an annoyed one or at least, an accusatory glare, and his eyes widened when he understood how wrong he was. What he saw instead, was a wonderful smile. His heart skipped a beat at such a beautiful sight, void of all anger and resentfulness. Why? How could he smile like that? How could he look so happy when he was obviously trapped? Maybe forever at worse. Confused, he wished to ask him why but again, the blond took the lead and placed a hand on his chest, just over where his own heart should be.

 

“But, it's not that bad! Every day is fun, I don't have to worry about anything and it's always sunny...” He laughed quietly. “Well, except for today! But that doesn't matter. Plus, I'm not always alone so, I'm never bored. I like my life here and...”

 

“How can you say that?! How can you say that when you know that you have no freedom and will probably never get it back”

 

His outburst, unusual coming from the brunette, was quickly followed by a crack of thunder and a new bunch of dark clouds covering the starry sky. The Nobody was right... That place was really connected to his emotions. Suddenly, the breeze became a lot stronger, shaking the glass windows and guiding raindrops here and there. However, Roxas stayed still and his expression never wavered. For some reasons, his smile was starting to irritate the young man and if he'd had the courage, he would have punched him so he would understand how desperate he had been during the last week. Xemnas had said that if he wanted to save him, he would have to embrace the darkness and let go of his light for him... If it had been the only solution, Sora would have been glad to do it but Ienzo had found another way to free him from there. Since then, there was no more information and it seemed like a lost cause. Now, seeing how his Other had been living for the past year, trapped inside a wavering heart, his hopes to be able to free him were slowly fading into nothingness like they were never there before. And it drove him completely mad!

 

“You're trapped! This is not the real world and this is not a place you want to be in! It's a prison, nothing more!” He yelled, not noticing the tears forming in the brink of his eyes.

 

His heartbeat was so loud by now that he could hear it clearly in his ears. Outside, a lightning bolt ripped the sky in half, illuminating for a short second the once peaceful scenery, the rain poured harder on the house's roof and the waves grew bigger, crawling further and further away from their eternal cage. His mind was a complete mess, just like the storm raging on around them. He felt so many emotions and couldn't decide which one was the strongest. Anger, sadness, self-hatred, fear, uselessness, anxiousness... It was too much! It had been too much for a long time now...

 

“You should be blaming me instead of smiling like an idiot! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have had to go through all this! You would still be with Axel, Hayner, Pence, and Olette... It's my fault! Everything, since the beginning...”

 

Finally, the young boy broke down and let the tears he had held back for so long, stream down on his red cheeks. Droplets of water joined the salty ones to form a long trail down to his chin, ending their course by falling on his balled fists. Sealed lips and clenched teeth prevented sobs from coming out of his mouth so he wouldn't sound and look like a crybaby. Little sniffles tried to go unnoticed but failed to escape his Other's hearing, and trembling shoulders caught his attention, making him lose his composed self. The usual cheerfulness of Sora had been replaced by intense despair, heartbreaking and uncommon.

 

“H-how can you smile when I am the one causing you all that p-pain? H-how can you be so n-naive!” the Keyblade wielder complained, hanging his head low and wiping his eyes with his arm.

 

“Because we are not that different Sora... You may think that I am my own person but I still share a lot of similarities with you! And that is one of them” Roxas explained, reaching out for his Somebody's face “You are a lot more naive than I am, to be honest... but that's what makes you so special!”

 

His fingers brushed over his tan skin, grabbing his wrist gently, and pulled at his arm to free his face from it. The brunette kept staring down at his feet, not wanting to meet his Other's eyes for the moment. However, it seemed like the resident of this place wasn't going to let it go anytime soon and his other hand went to cup his right cheek, forcing Sora to face him and reveal his tear-stained face. Without a word, Roxas closed the gap between them, using his thumb to erase the trail under his eyes, and welcomed his host in a tender and strangely warm embrace. The Keyblade wielder was kinda surprised by the hug, Kairi being the only one who had done that since he had become a teenager. Plus, the blond didn't look like the kind of person who would do that. Although he didn't hate physical contact, he didn't want to look like a child in front of his Nobody and tried to push him away, in vain. His heart was beating even faster now and he couldn't understand why. That feeling growing inside of him, strong and omnipresent, filling his heart and mind completely, on which he couldn't put a name, was slowly erasing his other emotions to be the last one to stand. He didn't know what it was but there was one thing he was aware of.

 

_He felt safe and sound against him._

 

And it wasn't related to the fact that he was, in theory, half of him.

 

“You've been through more hardships than me! Thanks to you, I don't really have to worry about anything while you are still out there, fighting the Darkness and saving the world! Yeah, you're right, I miss my old life and I wish to see Axel again... But, look around you, it could have been worse! I could be locked up behind bars or in a small room with nothing to pass time. It's not the case here” The young man explained, running his hand up and down Sora's back to soothe his sadness away. “Plus, if it wasn't for you... I would still be trapped in that computer”

 

A small laugh escaped the brunette's lips, quickly followed by a quiet sob. The more he justified the situation and his innocence in this mess, the more he felt like crying and let his negative emotions out. He had kept them to himself for so long now... The walls he had created to stop them from coming out, were crumbling little by little at his words and soon, there would be nothing left of them. Seeking more comfort, Sora finally decided to return the embrace and grabbed his Nobody's shirt, tightening his grip on it to express his anger. He leaned into the crook of his neck, breathing his relaxing scent for the first time in his life, and closed his eyes to surrender to his sadness.

 

“Let it go Sora! You have nothing to worry about or fear here... You're safe”

 

“I'm s-so sorry Roxas... Forgive me... I can't free you! I'm c-completely useless...” The broken boy muttered, tears soaking his dark blue t-shirt.

 

“Shh, you've done nothing wrong! You saved me and so many before I even existed. You're a real Hero and this place you've given me is a Sanctuary, not a prison!”

 

At this, Sora couldn't stop himself and cried even harder, sobbing to his heart content. If before, he would have considered this as a shameful and childish act for a grown-up man, he didn't care at that precise moment. He needed to let it out and his Other had understood that, way before he did. What a pathetic Keyblade bearer...

 

“You're so strong Sora! You've been able to contain these feelings for so long without showing your sadness to anyone... You don't give yourself enough credits for that!”

 

“I l-lost my powers and I c-can't help Riku and the King... They d-don't want me with them b-because I would be a h-hindrance” he said, clenching the cloth even more between his fingers.

 

“Shh... You are not a hindrance. If Riku and the King want to go alone on their own quest, it's not because you would get in their way. You've done so much for them, they just want to show you that they are also capable of succeeding! Sora... everyone looks up to you! I'm sure even Riku is jealous of you now. Maybe he has always been!”

 

“I'm n-not really sure about that...” he smiled against his creamy skin, relaxing a little bit.

 

“I've had the occasion to fight him once and, he was so desperate to save you that I almost got distracted by his faithfulness! You mean so much to everyone up there and, they all want to lighten the burden on your shoulders. Me as well... So go on, let it go. I'm sure you'll feel better if you talk it out”

 

These few words, as simple as they were, forced his fears out of him. So, for what seemed like an eternity, the brunette shared his anxiety and pressure with Roxas, tears flooding his sky-like eyes, sniffles breaking his sentences at times, body trembling because of his loud whimpering, and leaned even more in their embrace, enjoying his warmth. The other teenager didn't say anything throughout his whole monologue, just shushing him quietly, petting his head or rubbing his neck to make him relax, and listened to what he had to say. Even though, in fact, the blond certainly knew all that stuff already.

 

Sora was even more grateful to him for his understanding.

 

After talking about the new Organization XIII, his journey to regain his powers, the neverending fights, their non-productive research for Master Aqua and Terra, the Power of Waking still out of his reach, his fear about him not being able to help his friends because of that and the stress piling up every day, nothing was left to say. He had succeeded in getting everything out of his mind and off of his shoulders. He never would have thought that it would be so beneficient for his mind and heart. To be completely honest, it wasn't in his habits to think selfishly about his well being or putting himself before his friends. Usually, it was the other way around. Though his Other just proved him that caring for his health and sanity, wasn't an egoistic act. What an airhead kid he was...

 

Although that therapy session had relieved him from a huge weight, it also made him incredibly sleepy and even more tired than he was before coming here. His fingers slowly let go of Roxas' shirt and his hands fell down next to him on the couch, while his upper body pushed against his Nobody's, eyelids beginning to be heavy.

 

“Sora? Are you alright?” said the concerned voice above him.

 

“Hmm... Just tired”

 

A small chuckle echoed beside his left ear and strong hands came on either side of him to push him off. Swiftly and without shaking him out from his drowsiness, the resident took him in his arms, bridal-style, keeping his head against his shoulder, and walked to what seemed to be his bedroom. The brunette watched through his blurry vision the face of that boy who just saved him when he needed it the most. His cheeks became hot again, but not for the same reason this time. That feeling also came back at full force, making his heart race like he had run a marathon. Although, he had been confused by it at first, now, he could put a name on it.

 

If through all his childhood, he had thought that these skipping heartbeats and uneasy moments, where he would embarrass himself to get attention, meant that he would end up with Kairi at some point, they were nothing compared to what he was experiencing at that moment. Just being in contact with Roxas sent goosebumps all over his skin. Just seeing him smile seemed to heal all of his wounds. Just having him near put him in a rollercoaster of emotions.

 

_Love_

 

That couldn't be anything else. Even if he wasn't the brightest mind in that universe, he could at least recognize that kind of feeling. Bittersweet and warm, butterflies flapping their wings in the pit of his stomach, head going crazy over little things, always wishing to be by the other's side no matter what... Sora could swear on his life that he had never felt something that strong before.

 

Carefully, the blond laid him on the mattress and covered him so he wouldn't get cold, smoothing his spiky hair gently before sliding down to his face. He caressed his cheek and ran his thumb over his lips, before retreating back to exit the room.

 

“You should rest for the time being... You'll be back in your realm sooner than I expected” He told him, muttering the last part to himself.

 

However, Sora didn't want that to happen and caught him in his sleepy state, forcing his eyes open to see him. A questioning expression appeared on Roxas' soft features and his feet stopped moving, turning so he could be completely in front of the boy. The Keyblade wielder pulled weakly on the finger he had grabbed, looking like a lost child who needed comfort at night, and opened his mouth to phrase his wish.

 

“Stay... stay with me”

 

It sounded more like a request than an order. While he could have just brushed it away, the blond decided to fulfill what was asked of him and invited himself inside the covers, crawling closer toward his Other. Behind him, the sky could be seen, clear and freed from any clouds, stars finally showing themselves, beautiful and glowing in the dark. The rain had stopped and the waves were settling back into their calm and gentle routine. For the first time since a week ago, the Heart of his Somebody could, at last, be at peace again.

 

As his eyes scanned the scenery outside the house, Roxas felt the brunette wrap his arms around his chest, intertwining their legs together, sighing in content and comfort, and saw him raised his head so their eyes could meet. As if time had completely frozen around them, the two boys stared into each other's blue orbs, drowning into their pure color, blinking in slow motion, enjoying the sight each was giving, and both leaned toward the other, wanting, needing, seeking and eager.

 

Their lips brushed, shyly and inexperienced, before crushing onto one another, desperate to seal that long awaited promise, afraid that later, it would be too late. Beginning as an innocent peck, the kiss developed into a heated shared passion, tongues battling for dominance, moans erupting between their mouths, teeth clashing because of their clumsiness, and desire built up in a matter of seconds. Roxas let his hands travel down Sora's back, landing on his tailbone, just above his butt, and came a bit closer to appreciate their exchange. In reaction to that intimate caress, the brunette whimpered and shuddered, rubbing his partner's leg with his foot, and mustered what was left of his strength to lower his own hands, so they would be at the same level.

 

“You're wonderful Sora. Everything about you is perfect!” Roxas breathed out between kisses, complimenting his companion to help him have a better opinion of himself “You've done so many great things for us all... We won't be able to thank you enough for your effort and passion …”

 

Not able to make a correct sentence through his hazy mind, the Keyblade bearer could only gasp loudly when Roxas went down to suck on his skin, right in the crook of his neck, leaving a visible red mark to claim him once and for all. The positive feelings were too much for him at the moment and his weak body was slowly starting to surrender to his tiredness. If he had been in better shape, Sora would have accepted to continue without hesitation. Unfortunately, sleep was winning over his consciousness and as his lips were slowing down into their kiss, his eyelids dropped completely, just like a curtain falling onto the scene to announce the ending of a play. Moans were replaced by little cute snores and groping fingers relaxed, resting on the blond's pelvis.

 

“Don't ever think that you are a nuisance again Sora... You're the best thing that could ever happen to your friends. Even if I was skeptical at first, I got to learn more about you and in the end, I am glad that I can be a part of you...”

 

The last boy awake took advantage of his sleeping friend to talk about his true feelings, running his thumb over the slightly parted lips. His palm ran along his cheek, temple and landed on his hair, smoothing the untamable spikes, earning a content sigh from the sleeping teen. Unaware of what his Other was saying or doing, Sora let himself be swallowed by the comforting darkness. Like a distant dream, the world inside his Heart began to fade away, disappearing into the back of his head, and only the good emotions remained from that spiritual journey, leaving all the stress and sadness behind.

 

As the brunette went back to his own world, where his place had always been, a single sentence left Roxas' mouth, eyes sparkling with a new kind of determination.

 

“No matter the hardships, I'll always be there to support you Sora…”

 

 

×

 

 

A loud cackling sound was what brought him back to his reality. Still a bit tired from his internal trip, the brunette took a minute or two to readjust to the real world, eyes fluttering open to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling and blue walls covered by different kind of pictures. His vision focused after a few more seconds as if a veil had been lifted from his irises, and he could now see the two faces above him, watching over the young man while he had been lying on the ground, unconscious for an unknown amount of time. Lilo smiled widely, giggling joyfully at the sight of her friend waking up, and Stitch let out a surprised sound before talking in his weird language, clapping his paws in content.

 

A groan emerged from the depths of Sora's throat as he sat up straight, pushing on his two hands to do so, and scratched the back of his head, a huge pain spreading from his forehead to his temple because of him crying. He hadn't thought that his spiritual journey would have had any consequences in the real world... What a strange turn of events. Suddenly, two more silhouettes came into view and the first one yelled so loudly, that he made a face to show his discomfort. No mistake, it could only be Donald.

 

“Sora! You're finally up” the duck stated in his semi-intelligible speech.

 

“What happened? You were unconscious for almost three hours...” Goofy added in a more calm voice.

 

The brunette looked up at his friends before putting a hand over his chest, where his heart was. His lips turned up at the corner, forming his first real grin since a week ago, and a sigh of relief escaped from behind his teeth. Leaving his headache aside, he had never felt so light and relaxed before. The pressure and stress had almost totally disappeared from his body. The lump in his throat, which was always pushing him to the edge of crying, was no more. And the nasty feeling of being useless and ignorant turned into a whole new bouquet of positive emotions, which were blooming one by one to make him more confident and strong.

 

All of this, he owed it to Roxas. Just like the garden he had seen in that world, his Other had taken care of everything for him. Watering the good thoughts and removing the bad ones, sowing the seeds of his well-being, saying gentle words to help them grow into magnificent flowers of power, and protecting him from any kind of pest. His Heart was in good hands with him...

 

His kindness and love convinced him to work even harder on finding a vessel for him, enhancing his determination again, leaving no doubt in him about the success of his quest, and with that new strength he had given him, he balled his fist before looking at his friends.

 

“Someone helped me find the right answers to my questions... Now, it's my turn to show him the way!”

 

Both magician and guard looked at each other in confusion, arching a brow to his affirmation, and Donald grumbled, as usual, wiggling his staff in every direction.

 

“Can't you explain yourself a little better? You begin to sound like Master Yen Sid!”

 

“Is that a compliment?” the boy asked, grinning mockingly at his companion.

 

At that, Goofy let out a laugh and the talking duck cackled in discontent, crossing his arms over his chest like a pouting child. Lilo and Stitch couldn't help it either, giggling beside them at the scene. Then, in one jump, the young man stood up on his two feet, stretching his sore limbs, before positioning his arm in front of him and opening his hand so his Keyblade could appear between his fingers. Surprisingly, the weapon didn't feel as heavy now. On the contrary, he had the sensation that someone else was carrying it with him, as if Roxas was just beside him, supporting his every moves and decision, sharing a bit of his power.

 

A blush rose to his cheeks as he remembered what they did when he was inside his Heart, leaving him speechless for a second, a warm feeling crawling under his tanned skin. He recomposed himself quickly, not wanting to get distracted so soon after his comeback, and turned to his partners.

 

“Sorry for worrying you guys... I'm alright now! We can go back to saving worlds and finding the lost Masters!” Sora exclaimed himself in a cheerful voice.

 

“For now, we have to help Lilo find the other experiments... The Heartless have taken Jumba's container and the Organization certainly plans on using them to achieve their goal”

 

“No problem! Do not worry Stitch, we are going to find your cousins!”

 

At that, the little martian smiled joyfully. Everyone exited the bedroom, the Keyblade wielder waiting for them to be outside before stepping out himself, taking a deep breath and wishing themselves luck. As he went to go down the stairs, the boy stopped in his track as he saw Stitch, waiting for him with a worried expression, ears falling down behind his round head. He seemed lost. Not knowing the reason for that distressed demeanor, Sora knelt beside him and put a hand on his furry head, petting it carefully.

 

“What's wrong? You seem pretty down... If it's about your cousins, you don't have to worry. We will save them no matter what!”

 

“No. It's not that...” He answered in his battered speech, “Did Sora find what he was looking for? Sora seemed so... lost before? Now, Sora looks happier!”

 

Shocked by his statement, the young man tilted his head to the right, thinking about what to answer, finding the right words to explain the situation, and a smile formed on his lips, showing how much he was right about it.

 

“Yes, I did. I found the missing part of my _ohana_ , just like you! Now, I feel stronger than ever and can face any danger”

 

A little sound of understanding echoed between them as Stitch's eyes widened, his long ears going up in happiness, glad to hear that his human friend had been able to reach what he was aiming for, and leaned toward the Keyblade bearer to hug him tight, showing how relieved he felt by purring against his clothes. In return, Sora closed his arms around the tiny body and thanked him for his concern, caressing his back gently. While hugging the blue martian, he remembered something that Hiro Hamada had told him when they had met for the first time. Back then, he was talking about his lost older brother, who was the only family he had left beside his aunt and who he had always looked up to. Although he wasn't there physically, the genius teen had told him that he would still be here, inside their heart, giving them strength when they would feel down.

 

And he had been right. Roxas had been there for him. And Sora knew that he would be here again, no matter the hardships, to help him up if he felt like to give up. Just as he would do for him too.

**Author's Note:**

> Tantalog Language:  
> \+ _Emba-chua! Goobaja!_ = You've said it! Let's go!  
> \+ _Okie-taka_ = Alright!  
> \+ _Ohufi_ = casual greetings
> 
> ~Thank you for reading until the end~  
> Don't forget to tell me what you thought about it! It's the best way to help me improve my writing skills ;^)
> 
> Tumblr: ravenhowl-in-shipland  
> Insta: RavenHowl  
> Come and talk to me if you want, I don't bite ♡


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